Fake refresh rates: Is your TV really 1. Hz? Just because your TV says it has a refresh rate of 1. Hz or 2. 40. Hz, does that mean it's actually refreshing at 1. Hz or 2. 40. Hz? Nope, not necessarily. One of the latest marketing techniques, shall we say .

Yep, that's the point. Hopefully I can deconfusify you. Refresh rate. OK, first the basics. Refresh rate is how often a TV . In a way, this is like the TV's . A TV with a 6. 0Hz refresh rate creates 6. With the current HDTV system, this is the maximum you can get from any source.

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If you're in the market for an HDTV, you've probably heard a lot about "speed." When ads and reviews talk about how fast an HDTV is, they're referring to the display.

The problem is, all LCDs suffer from motion blur, where the image blurs or . One way to combat this is with a higher refresh rate. There's a lot to this, so if you want to fully grok it, check out . So in an effort to drive the numbers ever higher (my 9. Unlike contrast ratio, fake refresh numbers aren't complete fabrications. There's often a fairly simple (if logically dubious) method for determining each company's refresh rate claims. There are two primary methods for boosting the numbers, beyond actually using a faster refresh panel.

The first is a scanning or flashing backlight. All LCDs have a backlight to create the light used by the liquid crystal to create an image.

Typically this is always on, or at least cycling at the same 6. Hz the rest of the TV runs at. If the TV instead flashes this backlight rapidly, your eye would see the image, a moment of black, then the image again.

It does this so fast, you don't see the flicker. Technically, you're seeing each frame of the image twice per second. This is a common practice, and can reduce motion blur. The issue is calling it . Often this is . So here's what a few of them call their higher refresh tech, and what it really means. LG Tru. Motion. LG isn't exactly transparent with its Tru. Motion tech. The description reads: .

It's a boon to all fast- action video, but most especially sports, so you won't miss a thing. LG Tru. Motion 1. Hz, 2. 40. Hz, or 4. Hz is available on select- model LCD TVs.

The rest are Tru. Motion 2. 40 or Tru. Motion 1. 20. Their tech specs typically just say . On the other hand, last year's 5.

LM6. 70. 0 had a claimed . So don't assume their numbers describe the panel refresh. Panasonic. Panasonic is upfront about its backlight scanning: . Our advanced 1,2. Backlight Scanning technology employs fine light- emission control to minimize flicker and ensure smooth images without afterimage effects, even during high- speed action scenes in movies or sports programming. Panasonic's 1. 20.

Hz/2. 40 Backlight Blinking Technology delivers optimal sharpness, clarity, and contrast with virtually no image blur. The gray bar in the illustration is a darkened row of LEDs that scans vertically. Samsung CMRThough Samsung is fantastic at creative marketing (. Instead, it has . It's unlikely a TV with a CMR of 2.

Hz panel, as such an expensive panel would almost certainly come with one or both the other features. Here's an illustration showing how it gets the numbers. Samsung links to this article to explain CMR, which is great (there's this one, too), but it doesn't list the actual refresh of its TVs in the specs section for TVs (only the Clear Motion Rate is listed). Sharp Aquo. Motion. No wait, 2. 40. That's for its 8 series. For the 7 series: .

However, it does list in the product description . Here are two images pulled from Sony's Asia site. These TVs are for 5. Hz electricity (the U. S. Same concept, though. Here's Motion. Flow 8. And 2. 00 (our 2.

The text is a little hard to read, but the gist of it is Motion. Flow is a combination of frame interpolation and backlight scanning. Toshiba Clear. Scan and Clear. Frame. Toshiba, like some of the other companies here, doesn't go into detail about its Clear. Scan and Clear. Frame tech.

And our Clear. Scan 2. Hz goes a step beyond, quadrupling the 6. Hz rate to create a 2. Hz effect. They both improve picture clarity dramatically, without impacting brightness or adding flicker. And for those who prefer a more film- like picture, Clear.

Scan 2. 40. Hz also offers a 5: 5 pull- down option. On the Web site, the company says things like . Here's what David found out with this year's E4. A1: . But while that set has the smoothing and motion resolution we expect from a 1. Hz TV, the E0i- A1 series has neither. That's why we're sticking with the '6. Hz' specification on the table above, despite what Vizio says.

Instead, you'll often see claims of . This isn't directly comparable 1. Hz or 2. 40. Hz. For more on that, check out . For other TVs (sorry, even we can't review them all), some manufacturers at least list what the panel refresh actually is. Just because a TV claims a certain refresh rate, don't assume it's actually that refresh.

True, the methods typically used to justify inflated refresh rate claims can help motion blur, it isn't the same as actually increasing the refresh rate. As a last resort, if you can't find the info anywhere, if a TV lists a higher- than- 6. AND has motion smoothing/motion interpolation, chances are it's a 1. Hz panel or higher. If it doesn't have that extra processing, it's likely a 6. Hz panel, with black frame insertion (if that).

Got a question for Geoff? First, check out all the other articles he's written on topics like HDMI cables, LED LCD vs. Still have a question? Send him an e- mail!

He won't tell you what TV to buy, but he might use your letter in a future article. You can also send him a message on Twitter @Tech.

Writer. Geoff or Google+.

How to Silkscreen Posters and Shirts – No Media Kings. Silkscreening is such a great happy medium — nestled comfortably half- way between hand- drawn and mass production, more colourful than photocopying and with an aesthetic all its own. Artist Shannon Gerard broke out her silkscreening gear to make cool shirts and posters for her upcoming comic launch, and despite being crazy busy has shared her skills in this funny and detailed tutorial. Read on to learn how to print your own posters, shirts, or whatever you fancy printing on, and how the Virgin Mary and Spiderman join forces to help her out. Home Screenprinting Tutorialby Shannon Gerard. Choosing and Preparing Your Screen. What you need: ~ A screen with the right mesh count for your printing surface~ Mr.

Clean or any water based degreasing agent. The first thing you need when setting up a home print shop is the screen (I know, weird). Screens with aluminium frames last much longer than wooden frames which warp after repeated washings. Aluminium screens are usually only 1. A sturdy aluminium screen will continue to lie flat on the printing surface after multiple uses and the mesh is pulled much tighter around an aluminium frame which produces a crisper printed image. They’re also a lot easier to wash out than wooden screens. The other major factor to consider is mesh count.

The mesh count refers the tightness of the weave in the mesh fabric of the screen. A higher mesh count means the fibres of the mesh are closer together and a lower count means the fibres are more loosely woven, so more ink can pass through the screen. If you are printing on paper, you want a screen with a mesh count of about 2. A screen that tight will allow you to print images with finer details and thinner lines.

Since fabric is generally more absorbent than paper, you need a screen that lets through more ink when printing on t- shirts, totebags, or anything cloth. For fabric printing, you should use a screen with a mesh count of 1. A lot of folks also opt for a mesh count of about 1.

If you live in Toronto, the best place to buy screens and related materials (it’s the cheapest too), is G& S Dye and Accessories at Dundas and University. Dixon, who runs G& S, knows everything about fabric printing (I almost believe he could bring about world peace) and is also very helpful about supplies and advice. His website has very detailed information about printing including some in- depth tutorials and awesome diagrams of home set- ups. Once you have bought your screen, the first important thing to do is wash it out with cold water and a degreasing agent (I use the unfortunately gender- specific Mr. Clean, the concentration a little bit weaker than what you would put on thefloor).

Getting any grease out helps the emulsion to bond with the fabric which gives you a crisper stencil. Also important is to understand the orientation of your screen (not the gender specific kind). The flat “back” of the screen which sits on the printing surface is called the “print side” or “paper side” and the “front” of the screen, recessed inside the lip of the frame, is called the “squeegee side.”2.

Preparing Your Artwork. What you need: ~ Original artwork with a high contrast~ Transparency film. Screen printing is a very “flat” medium, so images that are starkly contrasted work best. When preparing your artwork to be burned to the screen (to create the stencil), work in black and white only — grey tones and the subtleties of photographic images will not produce a workable stencil. If you start with a photo, as in the example below, reduce the information to a line drawing, or apply a filter or halftone screen in Photoshop which will reduce the image to a series of dots.

I used the photo on the left as a source to produce the drawing on the right, but I liked the red colour of the boxing gloves and wanted to include that in the final print. You can print in any colour you want, but the artwork used to make the stencil must be black.

I coloured in the glove shapes, making sure they remained registered correctly to the drawing: Every colour you want to print requires a separate stencil. Once you have the artwork prepared, print or photocopy it onto transparent film, and you will be ready to produce the screen stencil.

It is very important that the black areas printed on the transparency are completely opaque, so hold it up to the light and make sure all the black lines are totally dense. Burning the Stencil. What you need: ~ The screen~ Emulsion and sensitiser~ A scoop coater or squeegee~ Rubber gloves~ A rubber spatula~ A darkroom and photosafe light~ Black bristol board, or black cloth or felt~ Transparencies containing your artwork~ A sheet of glass~ A light fixture with a 2.

A timer~ A spray bottle full of cold water~ A shower head, spray nozzle or garden hose. This is the most intensive step in the screenprinting process, but if you take a little extra care when making the stencil, the printing process will go super fast. The first thing to do, after your screen is degreased and completely dry, is to coat the screen in emulsion. Emulsion is the photosensitive goop that will make the stencil on the screen. In areas where the emulsion hardens, the screen is blocked so no ink can pass through. In areas where the emulsion is kept soft and eventually washed out of the screen, the ink will pass through to produce your print. Emulsion is hardened by exposure to light, so you need to conduct this entire process in a darkroom using photosafe lights to see by. How To Watch Midnight Special (2016) Movie more.

I use the extremely ghetto mechanism of a Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) night light with a red christmas tree bulb inside (witness the shame below) and coat my screens in our windowless bathroom (it gets worse). Emulsion comes in two parts, the emulsion proper and a small bottle of sensitiser. Working by the red light of your own BVM, mix the emulsion with the sensitiser (each brand comes with its own set of instructions on the label). Once sensitised, emulsion is good for about 3 weeks at room temperature, or about 3 months (tops — it gets iffy at the end of those 3 months) if refrigerated. Always wear gloves! Those photo- chemicals are nasty!

To coat the screen, you can invest in a scoop coater (about 1. A scoop coater is a very easy- to- use trough which holds the emulsion and deposits a nice even, thin coat on the screen. If you’re using the squeegee or smoother option, use a spatula to spread a line of emulsion along one end of the screen (See below) and then, pressing very firmly with the squeegee, drag the line of emulsion down or up the screen until it is evenly coated with emulsion. It is very important to have a thin, even coat of emulsion on the screen, uninterrupted by drips or blobby areas that could mess up the clarity of your stencil. I always double coat my screen by applying one coat to the paper side and another to the squeegee side.

You must double coat all in one go while the first coat is still freshly wet. Leave the coated screen in the dark to dry for at least 2 hours. Some tutorials say one hour, but I always have bad results with that timeline because the emulsion is not ready.

The important thing is that the emulsion is completely dry before you expose your image. No stickiness allowed. Once the coated screen is dry, you can expose it. It is easy to set up a home exposure unit by arranging materials in this order (from bottom to top)– 1. Also, make sure there are no obvious dust particles or other matter in between the transparency and the screen or the glass and the transparency. Any material that blocks the light from getting to the emulsion will show up in your stencil and will interrupt your print. The other big thing to keep in mind here is that the outer two inches of the screen area (closest to the frame on all sides) are unprintable.

Because the tension is so high where the fabric is stretched around the frame, you can’t get a good print out of the border areas of the screen.